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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

NASCAR Announces 2012 Nationwide Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 19, 2011) – Highlighted by an inaugural visit to one of the most historic race tracks in motorsports and a return trip to Montreal, NASCAR announced today the 2012 schedule for the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Full-time rides for Danica Patrick and Austin Dillon plus the addition of action sports superstar Travis Pastrana, who plans to run the majority of the schedule, give the 2012 season a huge dose of anticipation.

“From the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway to the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 2012 schedule has a great mix of tracks that will continue to deliver great racing for our fans,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “We're excited to bring the NASCAR Nationwide Series to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, along with the addition of a second date at Kentucky Speedway.”

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season features 33 race dates, including the series’ first visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of a companion weekend with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and GRAND-AM Road Racing. The inaugural Brickyard event will take place on July 28.

Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – a fan-favorite that has evolved into a “crown jewel” for the series – returns for a fifth-consecutive season, on Aug. 18. The 14-turn layout is one of three road-course events on the calendar, joining Road America (June 23) and Watkins Glen International (Aug. 11).

Additional 2012 schedule highlights:

· Daytona International Speedway again opens the season, on Feb. 25, a week later than past years.

· Iowa Speedway hosts the series’ first stand-alone event on May 20, with a second date on Aug. 4.

· Homestead-Miami Speedway will once again host the season-finale, on Nov. 17.

· For the first time, Kentucky Speedway will have two NASCAR Nationwide race dates, on June 29 and Sept. 22.

· Chicagoland Speedway also returns with two dates, one a stand-alone affair on July 22.

· Daytona’s summer event and Kentucky Speedway’s race will swap weekends in 2012, as the July 4th holiday falls mid-week next year. Daytona will run on July 6.

3 comments:

Happy to show that Canadian fans are just as serious about Nascar. With the Nationwide series so popular up here, I believe Nascar will not only continue their presence but consider expanding it. While cup and truck series is not viable in Canada at present Nascar should be looking to include Canada in its long term plans.